A house we discovered almost by chance, which became a true labour of love.
We are Katelijne and Pol, a Belgian couple who have been in love with the South of France for many years.
Le Mas du Camisard is first and foremost our holiday home, a place we chose ourselves and have gradually shaped to reflect the way we like to live. We love spending time here with our family, enjoying the garden, living outdoors as much as possible and simply taking the time to slow down.
When we set off for a few weeks in the Gard in 2021, we had absolutely no idea where that holiday would eventually lead us…
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
For many years, our holidays almost always took us to the Var. After the Covid period, however, our habits had changed and we felt like discovering a different part of the South of France.
Why not the Gard?
So, in 2021, almost on a whim, we rented a small house near Sommières for three weeks. We brought our bicycles with us and spent our days exploring the area, discovering its villages, landscapes and quiet country roads… and gradually falling under the spell of the region and its relaxed way of life.
During our outings, we began looking at property listings, initially just out of curiosity. Then came a first estate agency, a second one, a few viewings… until one day we discovered this house in Ribaute-les-Tavernes.
We had left home for a few weeks’ holiday. We eventually returned to Mons with a project we had never expected: we had found our home in the Gard.
FROM A FAMILY HOME TO LE MAS DU CAMISARD
The purchase was completed in January 2022 and, a few months later, in May, we finally took possession of the house.
At the time, it was still very much a family home surrounded by a large garden, with plenty of lawn and relatively few landscaped outdoor areas. There was no swimming pool, no outdoor kitchen, and none of the terraces and other spaces you see today.
We quickly realised that we needed to adapt the property to the way we wanted to live here, but also to a very practical reality: we were not going to be here all year round. After leaving the house at the beginning of the summer, we returned in September to find weeds in the driveway that were almost a metre high in places! It simply wasn’t manageable.
Little by little, our plans began to take shape: the swimming pool and outdoor kitchen were built, terraces and pathways were created, and the garden was redesigned. Inside and outside, we also rolled up our sleeves ourselves: painting, restoring woodwork and countless smaller jobs kept us busy for quite some time.
A lot of work, a few surprises and plenty of energy… but above all, a desire to transform the house without taking away its soul.
And so, little by little, this family home became Le Mas du Camisard, our holiday home and a place we are now delighted to share with our guests.
The house when we first arrived – 2022
Le Mas du Camisard today – 2025
A HOUSE STEEPED IN HISTORY
What we did not yet know when we discovered the house was that its story went back much further than our own.
It was here, in 1681, that Jean Cavalier was born, one of the best-known figures of the Camisard War. After working as a shepherd’s servant and later as a baker’s apprentice, he went on to become one of the principal leaders of the Protestant uprising that profoundly marked the history of the Cévennes in the early eighteenth century.
An old postcard even identifies the site as the “Maison natale de Jean Cavalier” — the birthplace of Jean Cavalier — a reminder of a past that remains closely connected to both the house and the village.
When the time came to choose a name for our house, it therefore seemed only natural to pay tribute to this history. And so Le Mas du Camisard was born: a name that connects the property to its Cévenol roots while allowing a new chapter of its story to be written today.
Le Mas Roux, a 17th-century property that has since been divided into four separate homes.
Jean Cavalier (1681–1740), Camisard leader, born in Ribaute-les-Tavernes.
AND BECAUSE THEY ARE PART OF THE FAMILY TOO… Maurice, Chanelle and Willo are also very much part of our little family.
Maurice, our black cat, Chanelle, our little Spitz, and Willo, our Golden Retriever, each have their own special place in our daily lives.
Because we know ourselves how lovely it is to be able to take your four-legged companion on holiday with you, we wanted our home to be a place where pets could be welcomed too.
Well-behaved pets are therefore welcome at Le Mas du Camisard, with due respect for the house, the garden and the peaceful surroundings.
